Hotel Keihan Universal Tower

The staff were so kind and helpful, and the water pressure was fantastic. I loved the thoughtful touches in the spacious rooms, including teddy slippers for the kids and Refa hair appliances in the bathroom, both a dryer and a straightener. We had an excellent stay at Hotel Keihan, and I'd definitely recommend it for a fabulous visit.

The location is excellent for USJ. The hotel is just outside the train station, about 250 m from the park, with Lawson next door and plenty of restaurants and shops along the short walk. It's a very convenient, family-friendly place to stay. We had a spacious family room overlooking USJ. On stays longer than one day, the first day's buffet breakfast is automatically upgraded to the Sky Restaurant on the 32nd floor. The spread is more delicious, and the sunrise views are fantastic. You can eat there for the rest of your stay for a daily fee of 1,100 yen per adult and 550 yen per child. The 3rd-floor laundry room has 12 washer and dryer sets, so we didn't have to wait. They're card operated, not coin operated. Free luggage lockers are on the 3rd and 4th floors for use before check-in or after checkout. Rooms have onsen yukata pajamas, a shoe dryer, hair dryer, and styling iron. At reception, kids can get toothbrushes, bear slippers, pajamas up to size 120, and bath sponges for free. Onsen baths and massage cost extra each time. The 3rd-floor restaurant serves daily welcome drinks, soup, and a chocolate marshmallow fountain. Every floor has a microwave and water dispenser too.

The hotel is a five-minute walk from Universal Studios, which was the main reason for our trip. Universal City train station is a few minutes away in the other direction. Trains run frequently to Nishikujō Station, where you can connect to the Osaka Loop Line and reach pretty much anywhere. Universal Citywalk nearby has shops, a Universal Store with licensed merchandise, souvenir stores, and a Lawson konbini attached to the hotel. There are restaurants serving ramen, sushi, and takoyaki, as well as McDonalds, Starbucks, Shake Shack, and Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria. The themed rooms were comfortable, colourful, and good for families with kids. Staff at reception were always around to help with check-in, checkout, and questions. Two of them spent about ten minutes talking with a local Koban police officer to help me find my daughter's lost bag and sort things out. Housekeeping was brilliant too. They kept the room spotless each day, even when we'd left the 'do not disturb' light on for a lie-in, cleaning after we'd gone out. Hugely impressed.

We picked this hotel so we could get to Universal's early opening and head to Nintendo World. I'd recommend arriving at Universal by 8 am because crowds show up early. It's across from Universal Studios Japan, and we stayed in a bunk room for five people. The level 31 onsen has awesome city views and costs ¥2100 per person for 24 hours. For example, if you start at 8 pm, you can use it until 8 pm the next day. You also get a voucher for a beer or soft drink. Tattoos aren't allowed. The hotel is worth considering if you don't want to buy an express pass. Security checks bags, and tin or metal bottles have to be put in a locker or thrown away. Plastic bottles are allowed.